Multiple cup lamp changer



Nov. 1, 1955 R. POPP ET AL 2,722,448

MULTIPLE CUP LAMP CHANGER Filed Dec. 26, 1950 INVENTORS.

fZuaaZfPo BY [Yaw/7261 Patented Nov. 1, 1955 MULTIPLE CUP LAMP CHANGER Rudolf Popp and Marvin C. Carlson, Valparaiso, Indi,

assignors to McGill Manufacturing Company, Valparaiso, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application December 26,1950, Serial No. 202,724

3 Claims. (Cl. 294.2.0)

2 which is' adapted to fit slidably over one end of the pole 1.0. The fitting 11 may be releasably secured to the pole. by' a spring latch 12 carried by thepole and extending through an opening in the fitting to latch it securely in place- At its upper end the fitting carries a block. 13 formed with spaced axially extending grooves to receive a plurality of arms 14'. Rivets or like fastenings 15 may exerally included parts projecting around or beyond the I sides of the lamp so that they cannot be used in many types of fixtures which provide small clearance around the lamps. Furthermore, such devices either do not have adequate gripping power to turn a lamp which is-tight in its socket or are extremely difi'icult to remove from or apply to the lamp.

It is accordingly one of the objects of the present invention to provide a lamp changer which can be used in very small spaces, which grips a lamp very securely, and which can easily be applied to and removed from a lamp.

Another object is to provide a lamp changer Which is capable of handling lamps of widely varying sizes.

Still another object is to provide a lamp changer in which a lamp is gripped at a plurality of spaced points adjacent its end.

According to one feature of the invention the changer includes a plurality of relatively small suction cups spaced to grip a lamp at points symmetrically spaced about its axis to provide very high gripping and turning power.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a plurality of gripping members in a lamp changer mounted and operable in a position to grip the lower end portion of a bulb so that a bulb can be so gripped and then unscrewed from a socket within a fixture where the fixture rather closely surrounds the bulb.

According to another feature of the invention the cups are pivotally mounted to accommodate themselves to lamps of dilferent sizes or shapes.

According to a still further feature; tension elements are conducted to the cups at points adjacent to their peripheries and are adapted to be pulled to break the cup vacuum thereby to release a lamp when desired.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lamp changer embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a top planview;

Figure 3 is a partial side view illustrating the release of one of the cups from the lamp; and

Figure 4 is a side elevation on reduced scale illustrating the manner of use of the changer.

The changer of the present invention is adapted to be mounted on a pole to be utilized for changing incandescent lamps in elevated fixtures or any other places which are relatively hard to reach. As shown, the changer may be mounted on a pole 10 which may be a conventional wooden or tubular metal pole of the desired length. The changer itself includes a tubular fitting or sleeve 11 tend through the. fitting and arms into the block to secure the arms rigidly in the end of the fitting. The arms as shown are formed of metal strips which are bent to ex.- tend outward from the fitting generally radially thereto and spaced symmetrically around the axis of the fitting.

At its outer end each of the arms 14' carries a resilient suction cup indicated generally at 16, which may be formed of relatively soft rubber or the like and which is relatively small so that the cups are spaced entirely beyond the axis of the fitting, Each cup includes a relatively thin and. soft body portion which may be cup shaped and. circular in outline with its walls tapering from the lip to the center thereof, as indicated in dotted lines inFi'gure 3.. At the bottom of each cup. a pair of spaced integral lugs 17 project outwardly therefrom and are spaced apart a sufficient distance to straddle the end of one of the arms 14. To mount the cup on the. arm, a bolt or similar pivot member 18 extends through the cars 17 and is pivotally' journaled on the end of the arm 14 by means of a bracket or strip 19 secured to the end of the arm and bent outward to define an opening to receive the pivot member. In this way each cup is journaled on an arm for swivelling, or swinging about an axis normal to a radius through the center of the cup.

To release the cups so that they can easily be removed from a lamp, each cup is additionally provided with an car 21 extending outward from its rim portion. A tension fastening such as a chain 22 extends through each of the ears and the several chains are connected to a collar 23 which is slidable axially on the fitting. A cord 24 may be attached to the collar and extend to a second collar 25 slidable on the pole 10 near its handle end. When the cord 24 is pulled the lip portions of the cups will be deformed as illustrated in Figure 3 to vent the interiors of the cups so that they will lose their vacuum. At this time the changer can easily be removed from a lamp.

In using the changer as illustrated in Figure 4, it is pressed against the lower end of a lamp with sufficient pressure to create a vacuum in the cups. Due to the pivotal mounting of the cups they will swing freely to conform to lamps of different sizes or shapes so that the same changer can be used with a wide variety of lamps. It will be noted that the changer is of such a size that it grips only the lower end portion of the lamp and no parts of the changer mechanism project beyond the outline of the lamp. Due to this feature the changer can be used effectively in extremely small fittings or any other places where very little space around the lamp is available.

Since the several cups individually grip the lamp at points spaced from the axis of the pole a very tight gripping effect on the lamp is produced so that it can be turned to loosen it from a socket even though a substantial turning force is required. After the burned out lamp has been removed, a new lamp can be attached to the changer and inserted in the socket. Upon completion of this operation the cord 24 may be pulled to deform the lips of the cups so that they will release their grip on the lamp and the changer can easily be removed.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that this is illustrative only and is not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A lamp changer including in combination, a tubular fitting, a plurality of arms secured to one end of said fitting and spaced symmetrically around the axis thereof,

each of said arms having a bent configuration to extend generally outwardly from said fitting, a plurality of resilient suction cups respectively pivoted to the outer ends of said arms and displaced from the axis of said fitting, a collar slidably mounted on said fitting, and tension fastening means extending from each of the aforesaid cups to said collar for deforming said cups to vent the interiors thereof upon movement of said collar away from the aforesaid end of said fitting.

2. A lamp changer including in combination, a tubular fitting, a plurality of arms secured to one end of said fitting and spaced symmetrically around the axis thereof, each of said arms having a bent configuration to extend generally outwardly from said fitting, a plurality of resilient suction cups each having a pair of spaced integral lugs projecting outwardly therefrom, pivoting means extending through each pair of the aforesaid integral lugs for respectively mounting said cups on the outer ends of said arms with said cups displaced from the axis of said fitting, a collar slidably mounted on said fitting, an ear extending from a rim portion of each of said resilient cups, and tension fastening means extending from each of the aforesaid ears to said collar for deforming said cups to vent the interiors thereof upon movement of said collar away from the aforesaid end of said fitting.

3. A lamp changer including in combination, a tubular fitting adapted to be mounted on a pole of a desired length, a plurality of arms secured to one end of said fitting and spaced symmetrically around the axis thereof, each of said arms having a bent configuration to extend generally outwardly from said fitting, a plurality of resilient suction cups respectively pivoted to the outer ends of said arms and displaced from the axis of said fitting, a collar slidably mounted on said fitting, a tension fastening means extending from each of the aforesaid cups to said collar, and a cord secured to said collar for moving said collar away from the aforesaid end of said fitting for deforming said cups to vent the interiors thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

